Jesus

Problem: The OT predicted a literal kingdom of the Messiah, but Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Amillennial interpreters hold that this passage states that Jesus was abrogating the OT teaching on the kingdom of God being literal and political. Instead, it is spiritual and invisible. Is this the case?

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The Jewish custom in Jesus’ day was to forgive someone three times—tops. Keener writes, “Judaism also stressed forgiveness, though some teachers saw the need to limit forgiveness to three instances of premeditated sin, pointing out that repentance was otherwise not genuine.”[1] While Peter was thinking that forgiving someone seven times was over the top, Jesus ups his standard to 77 times![2]

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Problem: Beginning with Moses, miracles were given as a proof of the divine mission of His servants (cf. Ex. 4:1–17). Nicodemus knew Jesus was sent from God because, he said to Jesus, “No one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). Luke tells us that Jesus was “attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him” (Acts 2:22). The writer of Hebrews declared that God bore “witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit” (Heb. 2:4).

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Problem: The manager of a rich man’s estate makes friends by cutting their debts to his boss. It seems odd that Jesus would affirm the deceit of the unrighteous steward. Does Jesus praise lying and stealing from your boss?

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Problem: Jesus says, “Seek and you will find.” Other passages of Scripture reaffirm the same truth (1 Chron. 28:9; Isa. 55:6; Acts 10:35). Yet, according to Jesus, “many … will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24). Likewise, Jesus said in John, “You will seek Me and not find Me” (John 7:34).

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“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches,” (Matt. 13:31; see also Mark 4:30;  Luke 13:19).

No, the mustard seed is not the smallest of all seeds.  Jesus was speaking proverbially.  That is, he wasn’t making a statement of absolute fact but using a proverbial style of communication.

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Problem: Jesus says that the last martyr was “Zechariah, the son of Berechiah” the prophet. However, Zechariah the prophet was never recorded to be martyred. Instead, another Zechariah of Jehoiada in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22 was the one who was martyred. For this reason, critics claim that Jesus was referring to the wrong Zechariah.

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Problem: Matthew records that the disciples shouldn’t acquire “a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff” (Mt. 10:9-10). Mark records, “[Jesus] instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt—but to wear sandals” (Mk. 6:8-9). Whereas Luke records that Jesus instructed, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece” (Lk. 9:3). The discrepancy can be seen in this way:

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How many men came out to meet Jesus in Gerasene? Was it one or two?

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CLAIM: Jesus said, “You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet” (Lk. 7:45). If a woman kissed your feet, wouldn’t this stimulate a sexual response in some way? Critics argue that passages like this demonstrate that Jesus had a sexual relationship with this woman. Is this the case?

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